196 Books: Iceland

 Woman at 1,000 Degrees by Hallgrimur Helgason

Iceland is pretty obvious:

Here's the summary:

Eighty-year old Herra Björnsson lies alone in her garage waiting to die. Oh, she has two weeks left, maybe three - she has booked her cremation appointment, at a blistering 1,000 degrees, so it won't be long. But until then she has her cigarettes, her laptop, a World War II grenade, and her memories to sustain her.

One of the most original narrators in literary history, Herra takes readers with her on a dazzling ride of a novel as she reflects - in a voice by turns darkly funny, poignant and always, always smart - on the mishaps, tragedies and turns of luck that shaped her life. And with a bawdy, uncompromising spirit, she has survived it all. As hilarious as it is heartbreaking, Hallgrímur Helgason tells the deeply moving story of a woman swept up by the forces of history.

Well this is a new low. I took like 4 months. For a while in there I was working so many hours that I just didn't have the energy to give to much else. Plus holidays and blah blah blah. Every once in a while I think about the people who have seen so much history in their lives. Soldier's grandpa passed away this past fall, and he was 99. The amount of technological advances alone would be staggering. Especially at that time period with world wars and the rapid growth of travel, communication, and entertainment. Of course this was fiction but I think a lot of the WWII literature focuses on those fighting and forgets about the kids growing up in that atmosphere. Alright, on to the quotes. 

"We spend our entire lives trying to put something away for old age, but then old age arrives with no dreams of luxury beyond the ambition of being able to pee lying down." This meant a lot to me. I've been feeling extra wanderlusty with the pandemic, I feel like there's so much I'm missing out on. My mom always likes to tell me that I can do all that traveling after I retire, but I don't want to wait. There's no guarantee that I'll live that long, or be healthy enough to do all that I want. So go out there and carpe that diem (but still keep with those covid precautions). 

"Nothing in this world isn't allowed, in my opinion." One of my favorite sayings Soldier repeats is "You can do anything once." You see the lightbulb go off every time he says it to someone new. The first instinct is to say it's not true, but then you realize that technically it is. Makes me giggle seeing that illumination every time. 

The main character in the story is the granddaughter of Iceland's first president, and she talks about the inauguration day (June 17, 1944). I found it really odd that the country decided to start a new republic during a full on world war, but I guess it worked out for them. 

"From that day on, I made it a rule: I dismissed my men by calling them a cab. 'Your cab is here' became my favorite line." This amount of no fucks given just cracked me up. 

"I feel that the history of mankind is nothing more than a rattlesnake biting its own tail, an endless cycle of absurd events that have virtually nothing to do with LIFE but are just one colossal monument to male madness, which the women of all times have had to endure." THANK YOU. They want you to believe that women are crazy and irrational but I present this as Exhibit A. 

"Dad: '...when a new world is being built, nationality is of no importance. Ideals know no borders.' Mom: 'But borders know ideals when the ideals start running over them with tanks.'" Another good take on wars and colonialism. If your brand of governing is so great, why do you have to force others to bend to your will?

"War makes us all happy, because no one is given a choice. In peacetime, people become unhappy because they have to choose and reject. All wars therefore stem from man's insatiable longing for happiness. There are few things that men fear more than peace on earth." I don't necessarily agree with this one, what with war profits and the hunger for power, but I like the perspective. "Man prefers to be a passenger on the great wheel of destiny, rather than determine its course. Least of all does he want to assume responsibility for that destiny, which is why he worships those who do." I think most people are caught up between wanting to think we have charge over our own lives, and wanting to believe there's a higher power that's controlling things to a certain degree. A nice blend of freedom but also having another entity to blame when things go wrong. 

"'Yes. Women have such a rough time. Just be a person. Not a woman.'" Yes please. 

"Oblivious to man, nature just followed its course. And strange to see flowers and bombs erupt in the same field." I love seeing it when nature takes back over. It's a powerful reminder that we're no match. 

"The most pernicious specimens in any society are always the so-called uneducated intellectuals: the mediocre minds and phony-schooled workplace preachers with artistic ambitions gone sour, or the megalomaniac dwarfs who inflate their egos with bullshit." HMMM THIS DEFINITELY DOESN'T BRING ANYONE TO MIND. 

"No other city I know has produced such an obscene number of snobs as Paris." Agreed. And most people don't like that, but it's one of the reasons I loved Paris. Honestly. 

"Love is measured in degrees, not minutes." I get the idea here, that you can fall in love quickly or slowly, but I think it can also be measured in special moments. I remember one evening looking over at Soldier and consciously trying to remember the moment and how much love I felt for him. I started keeping a journal of those moments so I can look back on them and remember those special times. I recommend it. 

"It is particularly beautiful to see blood color the snow. The red color devours the white until it loses its heat. Then it turns black." I can see how this would be very off-putting, but I can absolutely imagine how that would be morbidly beautiful. Stark contrasts. 

"Yes, of course, 50 million lives had been lost. Or was it 70? What's 20 million between friends? Yes, that's 160 Icelands." Does anyone actually have any idea how many people were killed in WWII? I could probably look it up, but I'm not, but I'm also guessing the answer is no. But putting it in this perspective blows my mind: I physically can't imagine 50 million of anything. Then you throw in that it's 160 of an entire country? Just so tragic and unnecessary. 

"For men the war was over, but for us women it was only just beginning." I know this is fiction, but I've also read about it in non-fiction books about WWII and I just have to ask...what in the actual fuck is wrong with people? Women being rescued and then brutally raped. People beaten or shot because their murderer wanted a watch they were wearing. No mercy for anyone. 

Last one, and this is just me being bitchy. There was an essay at the end of the book, because this was based on a real woman (I don't know how much is factual, because I couldn't get past the first sentence)... 

"Being a novelist is a bit like being a doctor, a journalist, or a firefighter. At work or not, you always have to be ready." Sooo...I really love books. But I'm pretty sure you can't compare authors and doctors. 

I know I really highlighted all the WWII stuff, and there was a lot more to the story, but that part just fascinated me. What about the children thrown into a war they didn't ask for and had nothing to do with? Too often decisions are made in regards to children, or that will affect them, with no actual thought of what it will do to them. And here's me gently stepping off of my soapbox.